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Apparantly he had a haigh ankle sprain on the same ankle he fractured last year that ended his season, which is the reason he was released..._________________Soccer Forums Most Underated Poster 2012 Award Winner.

the article is kinda funny...how can be one of ther best OLmen if he hasnt really played...i hope he does back dom up.we have nothing behind him. and if we comitt to a run game im not sure dom makes it, one way or another. we need a good safety to get waived dammit_________________

Like this a lot. He'll have time here to learn the offense, get healthy, and be in game shape behind Riaola either for a full year or most of this year.

The quicker Riaola is off the team the better imo. Stuck to this stance for three years now and the dude is just physically over-matched. It's time to get a new brain at C with some beef to back up his intelligence.

The quicker Riaola is off the team the better imo. Stuck to this stance for three years now and the dude is just physically over-matched. It's time to get a new brain at C with some beef to back up his intelligence.

Most centers are physically over-matched against the mammoth 330+ lb, athletic DTs of today's NFL... it's just the landscape of the positions right now._________________Team Stylish

the article is kinda funny...how can be one of ther best OLmen if he hasnt really played...i hope he does back dom up.we have nothing behind him. and if we comitt to a run game im not sure dom makes it, one way or another. we need a good safety to get waived dammit

The quicker Riaola is off the team the better imo. Stuck to this stance for three years now and the dude is just physically over-matched. It's time to get a new brain at C with some beef to back up his intelligence.

Most centers are physically over-matched against the mammoth 330+ lb, athletic DTs of today's NFL... it's just the landscape of the positions right now.

So... What exactly are you trying to say?

Your fine with Riaola because he's average like the rest of the league? Or that your fine with medicour play at C because the rest of the league is just average anyways?

I'm just a little confused because while I don't disagree with you, it doesn't make it any better Riaola still playing here, imo. I love that they went and got this kid to atleast TRY and find a replacement.

the article is kinda funny...how can be one of ther best OLmen if he hasnt really played...i hope he does back dom up.we have nothing behind him. and if we comitt to a run game im not sure dom makes it, one way or another. we need a good safety to get waived dammit

Dylan Gandy is a backup center with starting experience.

He's the opposite of Riaola though, Physical but not very smart. Or not " in-tune" with th game as much as others. I'm not calling him a dumby but theres a lot of reads that need to be made by the center.

I'm pretty sure he won't play this season. High ankle sprains take a while to recover from, especially since he's injured the same ankle twice and now has had surgery. He's got potential, and could be the center of the future. He'll most likely start on the PUP and end on the IR._________________
"Strength is meaningless in o-line play if there is no explosive, or speed-strength, quality to the strength."
- LeCharles Bentley

The quicker Riaola is off the team the better imo. Stuck to this stance for three years now and the dude is just physically over-matched. It's time to get a new brain at C with some beef to back up his intelligence.

Most centers are physically over-matched against the mammoth 330+ lb, athletic DTs of today's NFL... it's just the landscape of the positions right now.

So... What exactly are you trying to say?

Your fine with Riaola because he's average like the rest of the league? Or that your fine with medicour play at C because the rest of the league is just average anyways?

I'm just a little confused because while I don't disagree with you, it doesn't make it any better Riaola still playing here, imo. I love that they went and got this kid to atleast TRY and find a replacement.

I don't think they're really looking at Nagy as a replacement--especially not immediately--so much as just a depth pickup. I know it doesn't matter for the fans' opinion of him, but Raiola is a six-time captain, he calls line protections, and I don't think they're actively looking to bench him at this point. I expect they'll draft a center at some point here pretty quick, but I think his job is pretty safe.

Like this a lot. He'll have time here to learn the offense, get healthy, and be in game shape behind Riaola either for a full year or most of this year.

The quicker Riaola is off the team the better imo. Stuck to this stance for three years now and the dude is just physically over-matched. It's time to get a new brain at C with some beef to back up his intelligence.

I'm fully aware that he's the best option RIGHT NOW. Moving forward he might not be though and shouldn't be imo. Like I said I've wanted some sort of replacement in the wings or something for three years... It's pretty hard to ask any rookie center to come in and know more about our offense than Riaola, but given a season or two... Who knows? Dylan Gandy has been on the team awhile, and has proven to be a decent back up but it's time to let him go and look for a possible future starter which I think Nagy "COULD" be, maybe.

Last year I wanted Stefan Wisniewski and we passed. Would of been nice to let him learn the offense at guard for a year because he's way more physically dominate than Riaola in every way.

The quicker Riaola is off the team the better imo. Stuck to this stance for three years now and the dude is just physically over-matched. It's time to get a new brain at C with some beef to back up his intelligence.

Most centers are physically over-matched against the mammoth 330+ lb, athletic DTs of today's NFL... it's just the landscape of the positions right now.

So... What exactly are you trying to say?

Your fine with Riaola because he's average like the rest of the league? Or that your fine with medicour play at C because the rest of the league is just average anyways?

I'm just a little confused because while I don't disagree with you, it doesn't make it any better Riaola still playing here, imo. I love that they went and got this kid to atleast TRY and find a replacement.

I guess I'm trying to say that it's a tough position to upgrade, which is why most teams have average to above-average play at the position.

I was starting a pretty lengthy thread on this topic, but decided to scrap it. Teams look for different things at the center and defensive tackle positions, which leads to the size/strength mismatches we're seeing right now. They want the biggest, strongest and fastest defensive tackles (for most defensive fronts), while traits like experience, intelligence and continuity aren't valued nearly as high. At center, intelligence, experience and continuity are crucial to the success of the entire offensive line, while strength, size and speed are bonuses.

Raiola isn't a "weak" player, and he really isn't that small. He has a great understanding of the position, makes the line calls and has the desired demeanor for OLine play. The problem? Defensive linemen are freaks, and there only getting... freakier.

My point: wanting to upgrade Raiola and actually upgrading Raiola are two different things. It wont be easy to get him off the field, considering the traits he has and the desired traits for the position. We should absolutely be looking for his successor, but forcing him out of the starting lineup is a bad idea: it could be much, much worse.

(Also: offensive linemen receive more criticism than necessary at times, in my opinion. One mistake per game warrants heavy criticism and an impression that they shouldn't be on the field, although their other 50 snaps could have been quality snaps. Imagine if we held that same standard to all positions: if Calvin dropped one pass, or if Stafford badly missed one throw, or if Avril missed one tackle, or if Tulloch missed one gap. Fans would be ready to blow up the entire team on a weekly basis.)_________________Team Stylish